SPOTLIGHT users have access to different Environics Analytics datasets. This article provides information on each of the datasets used in creating SPOTLIGHT Reports.
There are five sections to this article:
PRIZM®
PRIZM® is the latest release of our pioneering segmentation system that classifies Canada’s neighbourhoods into 67 unique lifestyle types that capture current demographics, lifestyles, consumer behaviour and settlement patterns. Continuing with methodology that integrates geographic, demographic and psychographic data, PRIZM® incorporates the latest authoritative data from nearly a dozen demographic, marketing and media sources to help you better analyze and understand your customers and markets.
From marketing strategies and site decisions to merchandising, mobile analytics and media planning, PRIZM® powers decision-making. Businesses, not-for-profits and government agencies all use PRIZM® to analyze and engage their customers and markets at the neighbourhood level anywhere in Canada.
Summary and Description
Below is a summary video (11:22) that covers product details, sources, methodology, applications and key questions about this product. This video will provide you with an overview and give you some ideas on its application.
PRIZM® Definitions
Socioeconomic Status Indicator (SESI): The individual segment numbers are based on SESI, a composite score that reflects a variety of factors, such as average household income, discretionary income, educational attainment, the value of private dwellings, average net worth and household size. The 67 segments have been ranked from one to 67 on the SESI scale, with one classified as the highest. Because this ranking reflects more than income alone, most of the segments have a SESI score that is different from their average household income ranking.
Social Groups: Each of the 67 segments are organized into one of 20 Social Groups based on the urban-rural context, home language (English, French and non-official), affluence, family status, age of maintainer and ethnicity. Social Groups represent various groupings, patterns and trends. Each segment is also assigned to one of five settlement types: Urban, Urban Fringe, Suburban, Town or Rural.
- Urban segments are found in large- and medium-sized cities
- Urban Fringe segments reflect once suburban areas that, over the last 30 years, have been absorbed by urban sprawl
- Suburban segments tend to consist of communities located on the outskirts of cities and can often be found in the core neighbourhoods of smaller cities and larger towns
- Town segments are found in smaller towns across the country
- Rural segments reflect areas that are smaller than towns and include very small towns, villages, hamlets, and rural farms and isolated areas
The ranking of Social Groups is based on average income (not a SESI ranking). Groups have a letter and number combination. The letters U, F, S, T and R stand for Urban, UrbanFringe, Suburban, Town or Rural, while the numbers refer to income, with one indicating the highest average income for the group and seven representing the lowest.
Lifestage Groups: The 67 segments are categorized into 8 Lifestage Groups based on the presence of singles, couples and families. The grouping divides the 67 segments into Young, Family and Mature classifications, and then further subdivides them by analyzing the commonality amongst them.
- The Young group is divided into three subgroups according to the presence of singles, couples or starter families
- Families are split into three sets based on the age of children: the very young, tweens, teens and twenty-somethings
- The Mature group is divided into two based on the age of maintainers and the presence of children at home
Demographic Definitions
Age: Refers to the age of an individual. The age categories range from youngest to oldest in the following order: Young (relatively significant presence of those in their 20s and 30s), Younger (30s and 40s), Middle-Aged (40s and 50s), Older (50s and 60s) and Mature (70s and older).
Housing Tenure: Specifies whether a household owns or rents the dwelling, and whether the dwelling is Band Housing (on an Indian Reserve or Settlement). Tenure categories are Homeowners, Renters, and Band Housing.
Education: Refers to the highest level of school attended for people 15 years of age and older. Education categories are Grade 9, High School, Trade, College, and University.
Job Type: Refers to the occupation of people 15 years of age and older who were employed in the week prior to the Census. The categories are White Collar, Service Sector, Blue Collar and Primary.
Cultural Diversity Index: Based on a combination of immigration, language spoken at home and visible minority status.
Official Language: Based on a person’s knowledge of or ability to speak English, French, both or neither language.
Additional Resources for PRIZM®
DemoStats and CensusPlus
CensusPlus
The 2016 CensusPlus database includes approximately 850 popular variables, based on data collected by Statistics Canada during the 2016 Census. This database is enhanced by our modellers to fill in missing values where data are suppressed by Statistics Canada and to correct for random rounding, while maintaining a close relationship to the original census. This work ensures that there are no missing values in CensusPlus and the variables add up within thematic categories and across all levels of geography. CensusPlus offers a snapshot of Canadians in 2016; it does not include any projections.
CensusPlus is a core input into our DemoStats product and while CensusPlus may not be licensed by your organization, it is important to understand how these elements work together in order to produce DemoStats.
DemoStats
The DemoStats database consists of current-year estimates for more than 750 variables and includes demographic projections for approximately 500 of them for three, five, and 10 years into the future. This proprietary database is created using innovative methods that combine econometric, demographic, and geographic models. As a result of our comprehensive methodology, DemoStats variables are available at the postal code level for current-year estimates and at the dissemination area level for future-year projections. The database also provides historical estimates from five years ago, based on the same methodologies to ensure accurate trend analysis.
Below you will find a short video that covers product details, sources, methodology, applications and key questions about DemoStats and CensusPlus. Watching this video will provide you with an overview of these products and give you some ideas for how it can be used in your own work.
Following the video, there are some additional resources linked for your reference: release notes, variables list, metadata, and technical documents.
Additional Resources for DemoStats and CensusPlus
Within our DemoStats product, we provide DemoStats current year, as well as DemoStats Trends which provides a 5-year look-back, and 3-, 5-, and 10-year projections into the future.
CensusPlus
DemoStats
Other
DaytimePop
Planners, marketers and executives use DaytimePop to gain a deeper understanding of the daytime demand, customer traffic and population within their trade areas and target markets. is our authoritative estimate of the population that is reachable in any geographic area during daytime hours. It provides a breakdown of populations at home and at work, as opposed to census data that captures only an area's nighttime population. The DaytimePop counts are based on DemoStats and Businesses databases, as well as other reliable sources.
Below you will find a short video that covers product details, sources, methodology, applications and key questions about this product. Watching this video will provide you with an overview of the product and give you some ideas for how it can be used in your own work.
Following the video, there are some additional resources linked for your reference: release notes, variable list and metadata.
Additional Resources for DaytimePop
FAQ
| Code | Variable Name | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| ECYTOTPOPD | Total Household Pop. | Total estimated household population excluding group quarters population (e.g. military establishments) |
| ECYDAYPOP | Total Daytime Pop. | Total estimated population during working hours |
| ECYHOMEPOP | Total Daytime Pop. at Home | Total estimated population at home during working hours |
| ECYHOM014 | Total Daytime Pop. at Home Aged 0-14 | Total estimated population at home during working hours by age |
| ECYHOM1564 | Total Daytime Pop. at Home Aged 15-64 | |
| ECYHOM65P | Total Daytime Pop. at Home Aged 65+ | |
| ECYWORKPOP | Total Daytime Pop. at Work | Total estimated population during working hours |
| ECYWKPUSP | Total Daytime Pop. at Work at Usual Place | Total estimated population during working hours at an office or business location |
| ECYWKPMOB | Total Daytime Pop. at Work Mobile | Total estimated population during working hours that travel (e.g. traveling salesperson, someone who does HVAC installations, someone who drives for a living, etc.) |
| ECYWKPHOM | Total Daytime Pop. at Work at Home | Total estimated population during working hours that work from home/remote employee |
HouseholdSpend
HouseholdSpend is commonly used to identify trade area purchase trends, spot cross promotional opportunities and identify category spending potential. This wide-ranging database provides current estimates of annual expenditures for approximately 500 variables, spanning 18 categories of goods and services used by Canadian households—everything from fashion apparel and household furnishings to cellphones and charitable donations. HouseholdSpend enables users to analyze potential expenditures by both average dollars per household and total dollars spent for any geographic level—from all of Canada to a small trade area—regardless of where the consumer made the purchase. It is produced using data from DemoStats and the Survey of Household Spending administered by Statistics Canada.
Below you will find a video (3:49 mins) that covers product details, sources, methodology, applications and key questions about this product. Watching this video will provide you with an overview of the product and give you some ideas for how it can be used in your own work.
Following the video, there are some additional resources linked for your reference: release notes, variables list, metadata, and technical document.
Note: The video contains information on both FoodSpend and HouseholdSpend. If you are only interested in HouseholdSpend, we recommend you watch between 0:11 - 2:06 mins.
Additional Resources for HouseholdSpend
FoodSpend
FoodSpend offers valuable insights on what Canadian households are buying from grocery stores and restaurants. This database provides current estimates of annual expenditures for approximately 300 variables of food-related purchases and is produced with household income data from DemoStats and is based on Statistics Canada’s Food Expenditure Survey. Users can gain valuable insights on what Canadian households are buying from grocery stores and restaurants—everything from specific vegetables, meat and fish products to meal types like lunches and dinners. Users can analyze potential expenditures by both average dollars per household and total dollars spent for any geographic level— from all of Canada to small custom-defined trade areas—regardless of where the consumer made the purchase.
Below you will find a video (3:49 mins) that covers product details, sources, methodology, applications and key questions about this product. Watching this video will provide you with an overview of the product and give you some ideas for how it can be used in your own work.
Following the video, there are some additional resources linked for your reference: release notes, variable list, metadata, and technical document.
Note: The video contains information on both FoodSpend and HouseholdSpend. If you are only interested in FoodSpend, we recommend you watch between 2:07 - 3:49 mins.